Electrical switch.



Y J'. (l HEINZE, Jn. ELECTRICAL SWITH.

APPLIOATION umn MAR.S,1909.

Patenteamay 17,1910!y dwf@ . T-2,., D? LQ'WELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

pero llnrrnan, 'i s, residing nty oit liitcllosex and ,.:e invetccl ce- Wements in lecllevving is ff had therein Jr., a citizen at Lowell .i .3 Stato of tain. new

tricsl y a specification,

accor zn. partici, break.' elect nection n The pri to make trical sw oet a means rcniovanle to colxnect or v c il d 'J ind :tor principle or :ovv fiest-.mbe

operatin position in key and co rein overt.

cover;

Y gnient i: shot/'n in oeaton of Letters i-stent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

, 1959. Serial No. 481,139v

f air of electrical terminals 5, 6, and 7 8, which lie in a circle having the center 4 in common with the ring; the tvvo terminals of eacli pair being diametrically opposed. The lieacls ol' these terminals protrude above the surface or" the ring, and have in the tops thereof cavit 9. @ne pair of terminals 5, G, may he, for example, in a battery circuit; and the other pair, 7, 8, a magneto cir cuit; the terminal 8, being a spring having a tloivnivardly inclined under surface to ena suitable spring switch arm l1. Beneath the spring terminal 8 is a terminal 10 with which the spring terminal 8 engages to short circuit the magneto circuit when the latter terminal .is not engaged by the srv' cli arm 1l.

i hollow cover 12, made of gutta percha, see Figs. 2 and 3, tits over the ring insulal tion 5.2, and when secured in relation thereto, as by screws 13 to the base, serves to support an operating lever 1li, the switch arm 11, and a removable locking key 15; the latter the operating lever 14 and switch arm 11, so that a movement or the operating lever will canse a responding movement of the snfiteli erm.

The switch arm 11, Figs. 1, 3 and is niacle up of a thin strip of copper, an is slibhtljv curved; the outer end portions being designed Ato he inovecl into and out of electrical contact with each pairof circuit terals. Centrally located upon the'outer Vace of this switch arm is a metallic ring meile up or" a journal portion 16, and a collar portion 17, or' slightly larger diameter. 0n the under side of one end-portion ot' the switch arm is nih 1S to slide into and out of engagement with the slip cavities 9 in the heads of the terminals. y

The operating lever 14 is made of brass, and has riveted on one end portion, a metallic ring 19, the under sickle ot which has, out therein, a lcircular bearing surface 2O for the journal 16 of the switch arm 11; while the outer surface of the ring serves as a journal 21.

Mounted centrally in the cover 12, is a is insli with the ontsifle of the cover, While the inside of the cup constitutes bearing snr- 'taces 23 for the journal 21 formed by the ring 1% on the switch lever 14C,

Before assembling the switch arm 11, operating lever leganti cover 12, the posibeing used mechanic-ally to connect together' metallic Cup 2Q, lie outside bottom of which' g stoere tions they will assume before engaging each other, are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. After assemblage, they cooperate, as shown in Figs. l and 3; the operating` lever la being rotatably independent of the switch arm ll. To mechanically connect them, the key l5 is used. The key consists ot a metal pin portion 24's, a iin coi'iveniently composed of two lins :25, 26, and an insulated head 27. F or the pin of this key, there is a key hole 28 passing through, and containing,r the centers of, the rings of the switch arm, operating lever, and cup in the cover, while for the fins oi the key, there is longitudinally cut in one side of this key hole, a slot 29 passing thro-ugh the bottom of the cup in the cover, the ring on the operating lever, t way through the ring; on the switch he complete switch, here shown, linal axes of the switch arm and lever are designed to occupy the ope ating same ilane. hence the lieY hole in the said various parts also lies in that plane, to permit the insertion of the key.

rlhe length of the pin 24. ot the key is such vthat when the key is pushed into the key hole .QS and the headr engages the bottom of the cup 22 in the cover l2, the iin 25 of the key engages the iin slotin the switch arm l1, and the other lin Q6 clivages the iin slot in the switch lever le. Obviously, a movement of the operating` lever will, through the agency ot the key, produce a corresponding movementof the switch arm. It will also be obvious that as the key hole 28 is fixed in relation to the stationary cover l2, a rotary movement oi' the key, out of normal position, will bringtheiin 26 of the key to the right or the lett of the iin slot 29, and into sliding engagement with the inside 23 of the'cup in ther cover, so that a withdrawalof the key, whenin such position, is prevented by the engagement of the lin with the bottom of the inside of thecup. ln short, the key cannot be pushed into or withdrawn from mechanical engagement with the switch arm and the operating lever, unless all of the key slots are in alinement; the switch may be operated when the key engages the switcherm and the operating, lever; but it becomes inoperative, if the key is removed from the switch.

Y The lower edge portionL of the cover l2 is ont away, to" form an opening 30 for the operating,` lever ist. The tree end port-ion of this lever extends therethrough and out over the insulating segment 3. llt is provided with an insulated knob 3l above, and a smal. one below and adjacent to, the in-. sulating,` segment 3. Arranged in an arc alongthe inner top edge of the segment, are two lockteeth 32, 33, dividing the arc into thirds, and having upwardly inclined Jraces. Fixed to the under sideof the operating lever' is' e spring member 3ft having ilaring sides 35. The latter while engaging the faces of the lock teeth, hold the operating clever in position, yet they will give way and pass up over the tops of the teeth, when suilicient force is applied to the operating lever to overcome the resistance offered by the spring to compression. These teeth are arranged so that when the sprinzfzr` is held between the two lock teeth 32, 33, the switch arm and operating 'lever occupy vthe mid position, marked Off, which means the switch arm is not in contact with either pair oi terminals. As screw 36 having a cavity 3"? in its head is so located in the ring that when the switch is in mid position, the cavity is engaged by the nib 18 of the switchv arm, and the switch is removably held in said position. It the operating lever is moved to the left, the spring passes over the tooth 32; is held between the side of the opening 30 in the cover, and the tooth 32; and the switch arm completes electrical connection between the terminals 7, 8, in an electrical circuit leading` from, say, a magneto; this tact being indicated by the abbreviation Mag. Had the ope-rating lever been moved to the right, the spring 34 would have passed over the tooth 33, and have been coniined between the tooth 33 and the right side of the opening 30 in the cover. 95

1When in this position an abbreviation Bat under the operatinc lever and on the segment 3, would indicate that the switch arm had' completed the electrical circuit between the electrical terminals 5, 6, in another electrical circuit connected to another source of electrical current, for exam'ple, a battery.

ld'rom what has been said, it will now be plain that when the operating lever is in oliq position, the key may be withdrawn from, or inserted into, position to unlock or to lock the switch arm and the operating lever; that it the key 'is withdrawn, the operating lever may be moved in either direction, yet the switch arm remains in oli.' position. It the key is in its normal position, the fins of the key engaging respec* tively the fin slots shown in the operating lever and the switch arm, a movement of the operating lever to the right, z. e. to Bat, causes the switch arm to com lete a battery circuit, while, a movement o the operating lever to the lett, z'. c. to Mag, causes the switch arm to complete a circuit leadine from the magneto.- \Vhen the oper;` ating lever occupies middle or oil posi-` tion, no electrical circuit is complete, and by removing the key, the switch arm remains oi andno circuit can be completed until the operatinilever is returned to ott position, and, by the insertion of the key, has become me nically locked to the switch.

lllhile 'l ve given a description of this particular sediment of my invention, I

iso

do not wish to be limited thereto, but desire to protect my invention in the broadest manner legall possible. For example, while this switc is very useful when placed in proximity to the foot of a person operating the automobile, so that he can kick the free end portion ofthe operating lever into'any one of the desired positions, without th use of his hands which are thus free to control other partsof the automobile, yet thesaid switch may be so laced as to be operated solely by hand. urther, the invention is not necessarily embodied in a switch hav- I ing the three portions shown. Two are sufficlent, as when a battery is used alone. Regardless of its environment, my invention resides in a removable key connection between a concealed switch. arm and an exposed operating lever.

VVhat I claim is l. In. an electrical switch having apivoted switch arm, and a cover over the same.;

,a pivotcd operating lever, partially con- `said key engages said switch arm and operating lever, and a 'force is applied to the ;v exposed end of the operating lever, .said

force' may be transmitted by said key to said switch arm, and cause the lever and armjto 'move simultaneously.

2. In an electrical switch havin `a piv- 'oted switch arm, and a cover over t e same;

a pivoted operatin lever partiallyconcealed by said cover; sai switch arm and said operating lever having a common pivotal center; a key holein said cover, in said lever,

and in said arm; a key to tit said key hole 40. whereby when said key engages said arm and lever, and a force is ap lied to the exposed end of the lever, said orce may be transmitted by said key to said -lever `anid cause the lever and arm to move. simultaneously.

3. In an electrical switch having a; pivotedfswitch arm, and a cover 'of insulating material over the same; a pivoted operating lever being' partially concealed by said cover; a key hole in said cover, in said lever, and in said switch arm; a key havin a fin, to fit into said key holes, whereby w ien said key engages said switch arm and operating lever, a force if applied to the exposed end of the lever, is transmitted by said key and fin to said switch arm, and causes the lever and arm to move simultaneously; it being impossible to mechanically separate the switch arm from the operating lever except when the key holes in the switch arm, operating lever, and cover are in alinement.

4. In an electrical switch having a piv'- Qted switch arm, and a cover over the same; a pivoted operating lever being partially concealed by said cover; a key hole in said lever, in said switch arm, and in r'said cover;

a key to t said key holes and engage said switch arm and operating lever, when they are in alinement, all designed so that if the operating lever is moved, the key is moved out of alinement with its hole in the cover and cannot be withdrawn; and the switch arm and operating lever remain locked until the key is withdrawn.

Iii testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of -two witnesses.

JOI-IN OTTO HEINZE, JR.

Vit-nesses E. F. UNIAC,

F. J. V. DAKIN. 

